1. Field of the Invention
Cap tightening turrets are used in the mass production bottling and capping of fluid containers. The present invention relates to an improved cap tightening turret of the type which includes a plurality of spindles for rotationally applying caps to bottles which are supported by a plurality of pedestals. The bottles have an outwardly extending handle thereon. The improvement includes a single rotational prevention element mounted on each spindle for abutting alignment with the handle to prevent rotation of the bottle during the application of the cap to the bottle.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are provided in the prior art a number of container filling devices which include means for advancing the container toward a cap tightening turret. Typically, such cap tightening turrets include means for supporting the containers and a series of aligned container cap tightening spindles. The relative distance between the cap tightening spindle and the container is reduced to allow the cap tightening spindle to rotate the cap for installation on the top of the container. Although the preferred improved cap tightening turret is intended for use with eccentric but generally cylindrical containers having outwardly extending handles thereon, there have been provided a number of cap tightening turret configurations for different containers which have heretofore been employed throughout the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,422 discloses apparatus for screwing heavy lids on thick wall receptacles in order to avoid damaging the threads thereof and includes a stationary member centered on the receptacle with an axial movable platform which is guided such that torques can be transmitted and the common axis always remains the same.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,980 is directed to a method and apparatus for preventing rotation of bottles in a capping machine while caps are screwed onto bottle necks with capper heads which develop slight axial force. A stationary guide member develops an off-center, mechanical force on the shoulder of the bottle which produces an anti-rotational frictional force at the bottle base while wedging the bottle into frictional engagement with a neck pocket in the capper star wheel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,681 is directed to an apparatus for mounting caps into fluid containers in a predetermined particular orientation relative to the fluid containers. The apparatus includes advancing paddles that tend to prevent the fluid containers, which are generally rectangular in cross section, from rotating, and an operatively associated clamp which supports the fluid containers about a flange around the neck to prevent crushing the fluid container during mounting of the caps.
While these devices generally disclose particular methods for preventing the rotation of a container when a cap or top is being rotatably mounted thereon, U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,284 is more clearly directed to a capping apparatus having features which are particularly pertinent to the improved capping apparatus of the present invention. The capping apparatus disclosed therein includes a cap attachment assembly and a cap tightening turret to be used in conjunction with a container filling turret having a conveying apparatus for transmitting the fluid containers to the cap tightening turret. The cap attachment assembly includes a housing for supporting a cap in the path of the motion of the neck of the container and a pretightener assembly positioned to level the cap on the neck of the container as the cap is pulled from the housing and to impart an initial rotary motion to the cap prior to entering the cap tightening assembly. The cap tightening turret includes a number of spindles having continuously rotating heads and a corresponding number of pedestals for moving the neck of the container into the rotating heads. Each of the heads includes a resilient ring to frictionally engage the outer peripheral of the cap to rotate the cap into tight engagement with the neck of the container. There is a means provided on the spindle head to hold a container in a fixed position while the caps are being tightened onto the necks of the containers. Such means includes a number of fingers secured to a ring provided on the outer periphery of the housing. Although the ring is mounted for possible rotation, the ring is held in a stationary or fixed position when the head rotates. When the containers are moved upward into the spindles, a plurality of fingers are provided for engagement with the side of the containers. If the container starts to turn, the handle on the container will abrupt one of the fingers and is intended to prevent any further rotation of the container. U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,284 is incorporated by reference as if the entirety thereof were included in this application.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,284 is assigned to Federal Manufacturing Company of Milwaukee, Wis., which provides a number of similar type of capping devices which are employed by numerous container filling and capping facilities such as those which process milk or other fluids. Such milk or other fluids are supplied in one-half gallon and one gallon container bottles which have an eccentric shape and include an extended handle in the upper region thereof. While the particular configuration of a plurality of fingers, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,284 and intended to prevent rotation of the container, may still be in use, other bottle capping devices sold by Federal Manufacturing Company may employ a plurality of such fingers for each spindle which may be of a different design but basically configured to provide the same function.